Return of the Company: Another Unexpected Journey
by Fantasy Fish
Summary: Thorin and Co. set out on another journey to defeat orcs that are gathering in the north. Along the way, they meet Lulyn, an elf-dwarf with a thirst for adventure. (KilixOC)
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

Some of these notes are important to the plot. Please read them ;)

First of all, thank you for reading my fanfiction! Anyway, I'll start so we can get to the story :3

(***THIS FANFIC CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE END OF BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES***)

*Not long after Battle of the Five Armies, Gandalf resurrected Thorin, Fili and Kili. (Shush, Gandalf can do that now.) Because, seriously, what's a Hobbit fanfiction without the heirs of Durin?

*I apologize if my elvish isn't accurate. ;)

* Some stuff has to do with some Middle Earth geography. Here's the link to a map if you need it /map/

*I've got a website now! You can find updates, chapter previews, concept art, and much more! Check it out:

Prologue

Gandalf returned to Erebor only a few hours after returning Bilbo back to Hobbiton. How he managed that, no one knows. He found the remaining ten dwarves outside the mountain, looking slightly worried.  
"What? What's the matter with all of you?" Gandalf asked. Most of the dwarves gestured inside the mountain. Gandalf stared at the mass quantities of gold that lay inside.  
"WHO GOES THERE?! IF YOURE HERE FOR MY GOLD THEN BE GONE!" A voice called from inside. It was Dain.  
"That's the matter." Dori said.  
Gandalf nodded. "I see. Well, perhaps we can reason with him. The people of Esgeroth need their share anyway."  
"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Dain called. "Thorin left the gold to ME. ME! And don't you dare think you'll get even a single coin! Because you won't! NOW BE GONE!"  
"He's got the dragon sickness bad..." Bofur commented to Dori as the group turned and left the gates of Erebor. A few looked back on it with watery eyes, weather it was leaving Erebor once again, or the death of their king and his nephews.  
The company were given some ponies for their return journey to the Blue Mountains. If they were going back.  
As they tacked up, Gandalf sat with his pipe, thinking hard. Then, all of the sudden, he jumped up with an "Ooh!" And ran off for a short amount of time. A few dwarves exchanged confused looks, but continued to tack up their ponies.  
"Wizards. A strange race, they are." Oin said.

Gandalf rushed around, in search of…something. It had come back to him, the spell! He could try to bring the heirs of Durin back!  
Gandalf found Kili after some time. The runestone was in his hand, he lay motionless and unbreathing. Gandalf knelt next to the young heir. He began to chant some strange words in some very old and forgotten language.  
Kili's wounds began to heal one by one.  
Kili slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Gandalf.  
"Gandalf?" He said hoarsely. "What…Tauriel…I…Orcs…" He was clearly trying to say many things at once.  
Gandalf smiled. "One thing at a time, Kili."  
"What just…how did…Where's Tauriel?" Kili said, slowly sitting up and noticing the runestone in his hand.  
"Honestly, I don't know. Maybe we'll run into her on the way to the Shire. I think we might want to pay Bilbo a visit."  
"Fili...?" Kili paused. "Where's Uncle Thorin?" Kili asked.  
"Well, I'm not quite sure. But we'll find them and take them along too."  
"How do you plan on doing that? Fili's…" He hesitated. "…dead…" He choked out.  
"So is Thorin." Gandalf stated. Kili's face fell.  
"But, I might be able to bring them both back. Now come along."

Gandalf found Fili and knelt next to him and began quietly chanting again. Kili's eyes filled with tears at the sight of his unmoving brother. The second Fili moved, Kili tackled him with a great big hug.  
"Fili! Fili, you're okay!" Kili exclaimed, not letting go of his big brother and smiling brightly.  
"Yeah…What…What happened?" Fili asked, noticing Gandalf.  
"It's quite a long and complicated story. I will explain later. Now we need to get your uncle and get moving."  
Gandalf returned with Thorin, Fili and Kili, they all looked tired, especially Gandalf. The old wizard leaned heavily on his staff, and mounted his horse, looking very fatigued. But he'd brought them back. The company hesitated when they saw them, but then they cheered and gave the three dwarves a hug…or ten. They were soon on their way again. They were now heading to the Shire and wanted to get moving quick as possible.

Now the whole company was together once again.


	2. Chapter 2: The Company Plus One

_Here is the first Chapter! Yay! The story and writing gets a lot better as the story progresses, don't worry! Thanks for reading!_

* * *

Lulyn sat staring into the water and playing with her necklace. It was a necklace of black lace with an amethyst hanging from it. It was a gift from her parents when she was younger. It was early in autumn and she found the river's low gurgle was calming to her. She had just fought off a small pack of orcs single-handedly, and the rest weren't far behind. Lulyn took up her bow and hung it over her shoulder. She let out a high- pitched whistle, and her pony, Brisa, a black and white mare came cantering up and nickered a greeting. She shed her black cloak and hung it over Brisa's withers, tying it to a handle on a bag of hers. Not far behind her pony was a tan barn owl. This was Lulyn's owl named Kor. He landed on her shoulder as she mounted up. He screeched playfully and pecked at a strand of her hair. Lulyn smiled and stroked the owl's soft feathers. Their reunion was interrupted by the cry of an orc. Lulyn's head whipped around and she saw the new pack of orcs after her. She nocked an arrow and aimed at their leader. She let the arrow fly and the leader fell limp off his mount—a warg.

Not too far off, Thorin and company were traveling singing a dwarvish song. Though Thorin didn't get to reclaim Erebor, he and the company continued to travel around Middle Earth. They sung of the bright sun in the sky and the beauty of the lakes and rivers. Even Thorin was in a good enough mood to join in. Everyone went silent as the cry of the orcs rang out through what used to be a peaceful morning. The company had their weapons drawn and their bows ready instantly. They charged toward the pack of orcs that had assembled on the top of a hill. The company followed the orcs' gaze to the she-dwarf who had her bow ready. The orcs charged and Lulyn began firing again. She rotated between her bow and her sword with the occasional hidden dagger she seemed to pull out of nowhere. She seemed to have as many weapons as Fili—if not more. The company also charged and began slicing and shooting orcs.

The orcs came more and more and started outnumbering The company. Kor flew around and pecked and scratched the eyes of many orcs. Lulyn mounted Brisa and started shooting orcs once again. The orcs started driving the group backward and soon they all lost their footing and ended up in the river. The river flowed faster and faster. Lulyn was soon also driven backward into the river. Brisa managed to escape and began kicking and biting the orcs. Kor was nowhere in sight. Lulyn looked frantically for him as the river drew her further and further away from her companions lost in the crowd of orcs. Brisa burst from the group sending orcs flying. She ran alongside Lulyn as she was swept down the river.

"Brisa, find Kor and get out of here!" Lulyn ordered. Her pony ran back into the fight and searched for Kor. The river began to speed up more and more. A few dwarves from the company started some hurried and indistinct conversations. Lulyn realized what they were talking about. A waterfall was straight ahead, and they were losing time. The dwarves tried grabbing nearby tree roots, but were only swept past before they could get a good grip. Lulyn saw the moment had come when she had to do something. The orcs were shooting arrows at the dwarves and cursing as they missed. She saw some vines laying on the shore and came up with a plan. She began to swim towards the shore. She was swimming as quick as possible. Still the group of dwarves were slept closer to the waterfall.

A few orcs shot aimlessly at the sky, but turns out, they weren't shooting. She saw something fall from the sky with an arrow lodged in it. Brisa neighed angrily. The orcs retreated, but they'd be back soon. Lulyn grabbed an overhanging branch and swung herself to shore. She turned her attention back to the thirteen dwarves who were ready to plunge to their deaths over a waterfall. She tied a vine to an arrow and noched it. She said a silent prayer that this would work. She let the bowstring go and the arrow flew across the river over the Company's heads. The arrow buried itself deep into a tree and Lulyn held the other side of the vine tight.

"Grab on!" Lulyn ordered.

The Company grabbed the vine, and just in time too. Lulyn struggled to keep her footing as she was slowly being dragged toward the waterfall by the weight of thirteen dwarves. She dug her heels into the ground. They were now dangling over the edge of the waterfall. Thorin ordered the company to make their way across the rope. He swung himself up onto a rock and took off a drenched coat. Soon all the dwarves were across and wringing their sopping cloaks and coats.

Panting, Lulyn hung her bow over her shoulder.

"You…you saved our lives.." Bofur said.

"I believe no one deserves to die by orc." She told.

"Who are you?" Balin asked.

"Lulyn Nobleheart. At your service." She said with a smile and a slight bow. "But you can call me Lu."

Thorin analyzed the she-dwarf who had just risked everything. "I am—"

"I know who you are." She interrupted. "You're Thorin Oakenshield. You're only like the most inspiring adventurer since…well…a while."

Thorin raised an eyebrow.

"Word travels quickly around these parts." She explained. "I don't believe I know the rest of you though."

"I'm Bofur, these are my brothers, Bifur and Bombur."

"Ori. That's Dori and Nori." He said, gesturing to his brothers.

"This is Oin. I'm Gloin."

"Balin. That's Dwalin."

"Fili." He said. "And Kili." His brother added. "At your service." Kili said with a lopsided grin.

"Well, nice to meet you, Bifur, Bofur…Bombur…" She went through her head trying to remember all the dwarves' names. "And uh, Fili and Kili…And all the rest of you. Anyway, where are you all headed?" She asked.

"We're heading to the Shire to visit a friend of ours." Thorin said.

Lulyn was about to say something when Brisa came running up with a slumped, feathery figure on her back. Lulyn ran up and took it in her arms. It was Kor. He had an arrow lodged in his wing. She pulled it out and wrapped the poor creature in her cloak. She whispered in khuzdul to him and he began to relax some.

"He needs herbs." She searched her bag and didn't find any. She looked up at the company.

"I'm sure Mr. Boggins has some." Kili said. "He's always got fancy herbs and whatnot growing in his garden."

Lulyn looked at Thorin with pleading eyes.

He sighed. "I suppose you can travel with us to the Shire."

"Thank you so much!" She said. She mounted Brisa and the company did the same with their ponies. She held Kor in one arm as she steered Brisa with the other hand.

They traveled for a little while. Not too long, for they had met at the Brandywine river. They sang some dwarvish songs, Lulyn participated. Some of which were her favorites. And there was one she'd never heard before; it was a song that Thorin had written after Smaug had attacked Erebor when he was planning their last adventure.

The tune was haunting. It was a quite lovely song.

When they arrived in The Shire, many heads turned at the sight of the bunch. Most of the hobbits living there had never seen so many beards in one place.

They reached Hobbiton by nightfall where Gandalf's cart was parked in front of Bag End. They all dismounted and tied up their ponies. Thorin knocked on the door. Then soon, a hobbit answered the door.

"Thorin!" He exclaimed happily.

"Mr. Bilbo Baggins. What a pleasure it is to see you again." Thorin said with a smile.

A smile…that was a first for Lulyn. He had never smiled on the whole journey there.

"You're supposed to be dead!" Bilbo said, glancing at Fili and Kili before hugging Thorin.

Bilbo greeted each dwarf individually and with a bright smile. Lulyn hung back until the last of the company had entered the hobbit hole.

"I don't believe I know you." Bilbo said with a slightly cocked head looking at the she-dwarf.

"I'm uh, Lulyn. Lulyn Nobleheart—at your service." She said with a light dip of her head. "I met the company along the way and…things—bad things happened. My owl has been wounded. You wouldn't happen to have any calendula, would you?"

"Oh…Well, of course." He let Lulyn in and she sat by the fire, tending to Kor's injured wing. She did not eat, though the company had a wonderful time eating and drinking. Bilbo brought Lulyn some tea and a cake. She stopped messing with her mop of hair and ate some, but then continued to wage the war with her matted hair.

Once she had gotten her hair decent, and she had been brushing out the last of the knots, Kili came in and sat on the couch next to her. He was quiet for a short bit, but then he asked, "What were you doing out there fighting orcs?"

"Why should I tell a complete stranger?" Lulyn said.

"I dunno…I was just curious."

Lulyn sighed.

"Why were they just attacking you?" Kili asked.

Lulyn stared into the fire. "They've been after me and…and my family since I was little. We couldn't ever stay in one place for long. It's been a while since I've had a place to call home." She choked on the word "family".

"Where was the last place you settled?" Kili asked.

Lulyn thought for a moment. "Not long ago I settled in Bree for a few months. But orcs caught my scent and stormed the inn."

"What are they after?"

"No clue."

They sat in silence for a little while longer. Lulyn set down her brush and took a section of her hair and began to braid it again.

"Well, now that I've answered your questions. Where do you reside?" Lulyn asked.

"Why should I tell you? You're a complete stranger." Kili teased.

Lulyn smiled and half laughed. "Maybe because this complete stranger saved your butt today."

"Yea, I guess you're right." Kili smiled. "I'm from the Blue Mountains. Then uncle brought me on an adventure to reclaim Erebor."

Lulyn nodded. "At least you have somewhere to run to when things are hard. And you've got family with you. Lucky."

Kili cocked his head. "Where's your family?"

Lulyn's eyes got watery. She didn't say anything, but Kili had a hunch that whatever the answer to the question was, it wasn't going to be a very happy one. She sniffled and opened her mouth to say something, but then she was interrupted by Bombur. "Orcs! Orcs!" He cried while staring out a window.

"Orcs? In the Shire?" Bilbo said. "Impossible."

"No, not impossible." Thorin growled. "Kili." He nodded to the door.

Kili quickly grabbed his bow and quiver and ran outside. Lulyn followed, considering the amount of orcs wasn't a one-dwarf fight. She nocked an arrow as they stepped outside the door. The orcs were coming from all sides. There were ten at least. Lulyn and Kili stood back to back. Neither of them thought highly of orcs. They were pretty disgusting.

"Three. Two. One." Kili whispered and he let go of his bowstring. Lulyn did the same and they nailed two orcs.

"Two down, six to go." Lulyn said. She drew her sword and stabbed one that was sneaking up on Kili. She whipped around and sliced an orc who was raising its blade. She ran to the fence, where one was growling. She readied her bow to shoot the wretched creature then Kili shouted, "Lu! Behind you!" She whipped around and shot an orc that was on the grass roof of Bilbo's home aiming its bow at her. She quickly turned back to the first orc, took her bow and twisted the orc's weapon out of its grasp then took her sword and stabbed it. She then threw the orc weapon to Kili and he sliced another one. One more came out of nowhere and smacked Lulyn in the side with a mace. She flew sideways and hit the fence. She was dazed a moment but she stood, ignoring the shooting pain in her side. She shot a few more orcs until they were all dead. The dwarves inside Bag End stared at the dead orcs that lay in front of Bilbo's home. Who was going to clean up that mess?

Kili turned to the panting Lulyn. Her vision began getting blurry. Her hand flew to her side and her knees buckled. "Lu!" Kili ran over and got her to her feet. He threw her arm over his shoulder and started to drag her inside. Lulyn's vision began to fade and the last thing she remembered was seeing the door to Bilbo's home open.


	3. Chapter 3: No Lady's Business

**Yay for chapters! I finally got around to posting this...enjoy! Don't forget to review! **

**Chapter 2**

—

Lulyn woke up an hour or two later. The pain in her side had eased up some, but not much. She looked over and noticed that Kor's wing had been healed. She figured it was Gandalf's work. She tried to sit up, but as soon as she moved, her hand flew to her side again. She lay back down and took deep breaths. "Lie still." A voice said from somewhere above her. She looked around and noticed Kili, Oin, Gandalf, and Bilbo standing by the side of the couch. Gandalf and Oin were discussing something in hushed tones. Bilbo looked out the window and turned pale at the sight of the orc corpses.

"I suppose I could try..." Gandalf finally said. "But it will be extremely tiring." He told Oin. Gandalf took his staff and laid the tip on Lulyn's wound. She winced. The wizard began chanting quietly and his staff began to glow bright blue. Lulyn felt the pain rise for a moment. She tensed up and squeezed the nearest thing, which just so happened to be Kili's hand. The glow grew brighter and brighter. Lulyn held back a cry. And soon the glow of the staff went out and Gandalf stopped chanting. She realized the pain had gone. She let go of Kili's hand when she'd realized she was holding it and turned slightly red. She began to grow very tired. "Thank… Thank you…" She breathed before dozing off.

"I will not take her with the Company. She doesn't belong with us." Thorin said in a hushed argument with Gandalf.

"Just give her a chance." Gandalf asked of him.

"She's a lady. She doesn't belong with a bunch of travelers like us." Thorin said. "She most likely wouldn't even want to come with us."

"And why would you think that?" Gandalf said raising an eyebrow. "She's got a thirst for adventure. And I don't think traveling with a bunch of men will make her look elsewhere. You saw her fight out there. She is strong. You could use as many warriors as you can get."

Thorin sighed, though it sounded more like a growl. "She can come. But only if she's ready to go when we're leaving. I don't want to be slowed down." He agreed begrudgingly.

They were interrupted by Bilbo, who was giving everyone rooms.

"Thank you Bilbo, but I must be on my way." Said Gandalf. "Elrond has summoned me to Rivendell."

Bilbo nodded.

Gandalf stood and ducked out the door and headed off toward Rivendell. Bilbo waved goodbye and closed the door. Then he scuttled off to bed.

Lulyn awoke the next morning to the delicious aroma of toast and eggs. Her eyes fluttered open and she found herself staring into the fireplace, which still had smoldering embers. The sun bathed everything in a bright light, making it a pleasant awakening. She sat up and found Kor chattering happily at her rising. He flew over and landed on her lap. His wing was good as new.

She found herself wandering into the kitchen where Bilbo had two plates filled with breakfast foods ready. "Good morning!" He said as he set breakfast on the table.

Lulyn sat at the table and took a bite of toast. Bilbo sat with her and munched on a cake from last night. Lulyn noticed how quiet things were. She looked around and only saw the birds chirping outside.

"Where has the company gone?" She asked.

Bilbo finished chewing a bite. "They left fifteen minutes ago."

Lulyn didn't say anything and glanced toward the door. She thought a moment. "Mr. Baggins, thank you; I appreciate your hospitality. But I must be going." She said, standing and running to the couch to slip on her boots.

"Where are you going?" He sputtered, jumping up and quickly following her.

"I'm following the Company." Lulyn said slowly with a smile and an adventurous glint in her eyes. She hurriedly disappeared and a moment later she came back with a red dress. She grabbed her bow and quiver then ran outside.

"Farewell, Mr. Baggins!" Lulyn said, mounting Brisa and kicking her into a canter. Bag End began to disappear behind her.

"Goodbye!" Bilbo called after her, waving a hand.

Lulyn raced across the Shire, jumping many fences. She urged her pony to go faster and wasn't looking where she was riding, trampling a hobbit's garden in the process. The hobbit jumped out of the way with a cry of surprise. "Sorry!" She called behind her.

Soon, on the horizon, many shapes appeared: thirteen dwarves on ponies. Lulyn galloped now. She reached the group just as they were crossing the Brandywine Bridge. She slowed her pony to a trot and came up behind Thorin.

"Thorin! Thorin! You left me behind." She said. He looked back at her with an eyebrow raised.

"I thought you weren't coming." He said.

Lulyn smiled and trotted up next to him. "Well, I'm here now. And I would like to be a part of the Company."

Thorin glared. He wanted to make it clear that he didn't want another member of the company.

"Thorin, please let me be a part of this company. I will follow you to the edges of the earth if you would allow me." She pleaded.

Thorin sighed. "Fighting orcs is no lady's business."

"You're right." Lulyn agreed. "But you must remember I am no lady." She smirked and pulled a knife from her cloak, then threw it with everything she had, nailing a pinecone on a nearby tree, just to prove her point. The knife fell to the ground with the skewered pinecone. She walked over and picked it up to slide the pinecone off the blade.

Thorin glared at Lulyn and continued on, eyes set at the other side of the bridge.

"Where are you going? What's the mission...quest...thing this time?" Lulyn asked.

"Orcs have been reappearing all over Middle-Earth since the battle. Many looked to us to find out where they're coming from."

"How do you intend to fight all the orcs with only thirteen of you? You don't even know where they're coming from." Lulyn said. "I could be of use. I'm good at that sort of thing. I've been tracking orcs all my life. Please, Thorin."

Thorin sighed. "I do not want another member of this company."

Lulyn's face fell.

"But, if you can prove yourself, you I MIGHT let you join us."

Lulyn smiled brightly. "Thank you!" She said, resisting the urge to hug the rather grumpy dwarf.

"But, one wrong move, and this company will be leaving you behind."

After short bit, the company had reached the Old Forest. Thorin brought the Company to a halt when he'd realized they had no clue where they were going. He stared at his pony's ears, deep in thought.

"What is it, Uncle?" Fili asked.

"Nothing, nothing. Let's go." He continued on. Then not too long after that he heard a screech of an orc. The Company stopped in their tracks. "That wasn't…" Lulyn started.

"It was." Thorin confirmed. His blade began to glow blue.

Lulyn thought, knowing they had little time until the orcs would arrive. "We might be able to outrun them." She stated. "We need to get to Rivendell."

Thorin grunted. "I am not going to Rivendell. Not again."

"Thorin, you have two choices. Get to the safety of Rivendell, or get eaten by a pack of orcs. Take your pick."

Thorin groaned and started galloping in the direction of Rivendell. A small group, maybe four or five orcs, began running ahead of the company to cut them off. "This way!" Thorin ordered, turning his pony southeast. They managed to outrun the orcs, and soon they found they were out of the old forest and had reached the South Downs.

Lulyn looked around at the downs, wondering why they had taken this path, rather than keeping straight and shortening this journey to Rivendell. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Lulyn's train of thought was broken when Bofur came up beside her.

"Afternoon, lass." He said.

Lulyn smiled and nodded to Bofur. She glanced up toward Thorin. "Is he always this..." She hesitated.

"Grumpy? Angry? Unhappy?" Bofur said.

Lulyn stared at Thorin and raised an eyebrow. "

"He's not usually in such a bad mood. Not sure what's bugging him today." Bofur shrugged.

The sky steadily darkened after a while and rain began to fall. It slowly got heavier and heavier as they continued.

"Thorin, the ponies need a break. They look pretty tired. And they're soaking wet." Lulyn said finally.

"We need to keep moving. We've got a pack of orcs on our tail. We'll keep moving until sunset." Thorin said.

Lulyn frowned. They couldn't tell when sunset was until is was too late. She decided to respect Thorin's orders though. She was still getting used to the whole I'm-not-the-leader-anymore thing. But why should she? She wasn't even a part of the company yet, so she didn't have to follow his orders! Besides, the horses were wet and cold, by the looks of it.

While Lulyn was having a mental argument with herself, they had gotten to the side of a rather mountain-ish spot in the Downs. Lulyn was riding near the edge of a cliff. She remembered the days when this was unusual for her. When she'd had a place to live, and when she'd had a garden to grow things in; and the softness and warmth of a bed; when she had a...a family. She missed those days.

Lulyn's train of thought was interrupted by an orc screech. Thorin's sword began to glow again.

"Ready your weapons!" Thorin ordered. Lulyn noched an arrow and pulled the bowstring back.

Soon orcs were jumping out of nowhere. The rain, of course, began to pour harder. The rock began to get slippery beneath the dwarves' feet. Lulyn aimed and shot down many orcs. She dismounted and a huge orc/dwarf fight broke out. The Company stabbed, slashed, shot, and pushed many orcs over the edge of a cliff. Lulyn hung her bow over her shoulder and drew her sword. She began fighting with an orc that had a bloodthirsty look on its face. She stabbed the orc and it stumbled backward over the cliff, letting out a final screech before there was a thud and silence from below. She busied herself with another orc. It seemed to be the last of them.

The Company watched as she fiercely fought the orc. The orc began to drive her backward…toward the edge of the cliff.

Thorin would have done something, but he wanted to see Lulyn prove herself a good fighter.

Lulyn fought her hardest, but the orc kept driving her toward the edge. Lulyn's heels hung over the edge of the cliff. Her heart pounded wildly. The rocks underneath her foot slipped and Lulyn found herself dangling over the edge by one hand. The orc raised its axe, ready to finish Lulyn. She let out a screech of fear. She tried to cry for help, but her voice failed her. As the orc readied itself to bring down its axe, it froze and its knees buckled beneath it. It fell over the edge with an arrow in its back, revealing a soaked Kili who was lowering his bow. Lulyn sighed in relief but then remembered she was kind of still dangling over the edge of a cliff. Her fingers began slipping. She saw an overhanging tree and reached out to grab it. She unknowingly dropped her sword in the process. She held with both hands onto the tree, which turned out to be a thorn tree that hung over the edge of the cliff. She let out a cry of pain as the thorns tore at her bare hands.

"Lu!" Kili called over the sound of the pouring rain. He held out a hand. Lulyn took it, nearly pulling Kili over the edge. Fili ran up and took Lulyn's other hand. They pulled her up onto the rock and she lay there panting. She looked up at Kili. "You..." She breathed.

"Saved your life. I know. Just consider it payment of my debt." He winked. Fili glanced at Lulyn's hands and his eyes widened. She followed his gaze and realized her palms had cuts all over them. Deep ones. She began to feel the sharp pain as she looked at them closer. "Come on. Oin can help you with those." Kili said. As he held out a hand for Lulyn to take, she noticed some cuts across Kili's arm. He must have brushed across the tree without noticing. Lulyn felt her neck. Her necklace was missing. She ran to the edge of the cliff with a gasp. She was quite relived when she saw it was dangling from a thorn on the tree. She took the necklace an put it in a pocket of her dress.

Lulyn held out her hands for Oin to inspect. He poured a kettle of hot water over her hands to clean the cuts out. She winced as the hot water came in contact with her most likely to-be-scarred palms. At least the rain had stopped pouring and now was only sprinkling.

Oin bandaged up Lulyn's palms. She looked at her wrapped up hands. This wasn't going to be great for fighting. Lulyn searched through her bag and found a pair of gray fingerless gloves. She slipped them on over the bandages, just to feel a little more dignified. She glanced up at Kili, who hadn't stopped looking at her the way he had since he'd pulled her back up from the cliff. She eventually got up her courage and went to sit next to him. His concerned look turned to a smile. "How's your hands?" He asked. Lulyn managed a weak smile and glanced at them. "I dunno. I guess they're fine." She said. She remembered her necklace and reached into the pocket of her dress to pull out the little trinket. Lulyn clipped the necklace back around her neck and sighed. "What's that?" Kili asked curiously. Lulyn smiled sadly and fingered the amethyst. "A reminder of what I once had."

Kili tilted his head and smiled crookedly. Lulyn felt her heart do a weird pounding thing for a second. "What was that?" He asked.

She sighed and looked at the ground for a moment, but managed to look Kili in the eyes. "My family." She tried not to let her voice crack.

Kili nodded and stared into the fire.

There was a silence. "So, uh...archery. Who taught you?" Lulyn said, changing the subject.

"Thorin did." Kili chuckled and smiled at the memory. "Though, he needed a new coat by the time he was finished."

Lulyn raised an eyebrow. "Why's that?" She asked with a small laugh.

"Well...let's just say I was a little reckless when I was younger."

"'Was'?" Lulyn teased. Yet, she was right. Kili was still reckless. He was about to say something when Thorin interrupted. "Kili, you're on first watch tonight." He said firmly yet...gently? That was unusual. Kili nodded to Lulyn and went to go sit at the mouth of the cave. Lulyn went to her bedroll and decided she would try to get some sleep.

M mLulyn awoke the next morning early, before any of the other dwarves. She stood up and packed her things. She wanted to sneak out and go for an early morning ride. She stepped silently over each of the dwarves, careful not to wake any of them. She turned her back to the mouth of the cave and tip toes backward, looking at the sleeping bunch. Just when she thought she was safe to go, she found herself tripping backwards over Bombur. Lulyn landed on something soft, it made an "oof!" sound as she collided with it.

"Aw man." She said in a hushed tone.

"Lu?" A groggy voice said.

Lulyn closed her eyes a second longer than a blink and turned her head to the left. She saw the face of Kili, who had been awakened by Lulyn landing on him. Lulyn sighed and mentally facepalmed.

"What are you doing?" Kili asked.

Lulyn stood up. "Well, I was going on an early morning ride."

"Mind if I come?" Kili asked.

Lulyn sighed again and thought a moment. "Sure. Why not?"

They went out across the south downs and talked for a long time about the Company. Lulyn never had second thoughts about joining the company. No one could convince her not to try to join the company. She was going to prove herself even if that meant doing something ridiculously stupid.

Lulyn laughed as Kili told a story about a ridiculous prank he had pulled on a cave troll one night.

Kili tried to catch his breath as he continued telling the story. "But wait, it gets better." He said. "After that..." He paused and laughed for a moment. "After that, the troll started chasing me! I dragged him back to my house and my mum and dad freaked out." He and Lulyn began laughing again. It echoed off the downs.

"Well what did you do after that?" Lulyn asked, gasping for breath as she tried to keep herself from laughing again.

"Well, luckily, Uncle Thorin happened to be coming to visit when he found me being chased by a troll. I was in some big trouble after that." He laughed again, along with Lulyn who burst into giggles again as they decided to head back

"Uncle have you seen—" Fili said, coming up behind Thorin, then following his gaze down to the two dwarves on ponies below. "Oh. Found him." Fili headed down to meet his brother.


	4. Chapter 4: You Need It More Than I Do

If you can catch the reference in this chapter, you get a cookie!

As the group left the downs, they traveled quickly and found themselves in Bree before nightfall.

It was raining, as it always seemed to in Bree. The company stopped at The Prancing Pony inn. The company took the night to rest and have a good time. Kili, Fili and Thorin were all followed around and crowded, because apparently, they were supposed to be dead. Lulyn listened in on the story of how Kili died, and found herself tearing up. Though, as he repeated the story more and more, he had more to drink, which led to a not-so-sober Kili. By the end of the night, he had told a very extravagant and embellished version of the story. It somehow turned into how Kili defeated Smaug single-handedly and died trying to escape the orcs, whom Smaug had allied himself with. Lulyn rolled her eyes and chuckled. She decided to go off to bed. She lay there awake for a little while, deep in thought. She thought about how long it had been since she'd had a nice feather bed to sleep in. She got lost in her thoughts and soon found herself fast asleep, dreaming of the days when she had family.

The next morning, Lulyn was the first one awake, and she sat in the main room speaking to Mr. Butterbur about Gandalf. Lulyn listened intently to the stories of Gandalf's doings, and his fantastic fireworks every New Year's Eve. As more guests began to wake, Butterbur broke away to start taking breakfast orders. Lulyn sat in a corner, watching as many people crowded Thorin, asking him about the defeat of Azog the Defiler. He wouldn't say much, and by this point, she'd noticed Thorin didn't like much attention. He told the basic yea-I-killed-an-evil-Orc-that-was-supposed-to-be-dead-ages-ago story, but then managed to escape to his room, to study some maps with notes scribbled all over them, possibly clues to where the orcs were hiding. He eventually got the company together and they left the inn.

A few days and orc attacks later, the Company made it to the trollshaws. They camped in the shadow of three great stone trolls. The company told her the story of the trolls, and how Gandalf had saved the dwarves from being skinned alive. She found herself giggling about how they had to insist they had parasites. The company each broke away, a few slept, others recounted their journey to reclaim Erebor. Lulyn stood staring at one of the trolls. She reached out and touched one of the troll's faces, just to prove to herself it was dead. She sighed and smiled, laughing at herself for thinking otherwise.

"Arrrrrggghhhh!" Kili growled from behind Lulyn, imitating a troll.

Lulyn gasped and whipped around, drawing her dagger and swinging it. Kili managed to parry it with his sword, eyes wide. Lulyn's eyes were equally as wide, if not wider. She sheathed her sword, breathing heavily.

"Wow, sorry...I didn't mean to scare you that bad..." Kili laughed, rubbing the back of his neck.

Lulyn gave Kili a small smile, still recovering. She managed to find her voice. "It's...fine." She laughed slightly. "Heh, I guess I don't do trolls." She joked.

Kili smiled. "Then let's just hope we don't run into any." He winked.

Several days later, the group arrived in Rivendell.

Gandalf stood in a courtyard almost as if he were expecting them to show up at this moment.

"Ah, there you are!" Gandalf said. "I have spoken with Lord Elrond and he may have a hunch as to where the orcs are coming from. He is away at the moment, but will return later this evening. Until then, I suppose you can roam Rivendell freely."

The dwarves broke away and explored Rivendell. Though they had been there before, there were things that were unfamiliar to the dwarves, perhaps because last time, they weren't there to wander.

Lulyn stood awkwardly in the courtyard with Gandalf. He asked about her bandages, so she told the story of how she nearly fell over a cliff. He ended up healing her hands, of course it didn't sting any less than what it did before, when he healed her side.

"Uh, thanks." She said eventually, staring at her scarred hands. The lines were strange, and made her hands bend weirdly.

"You're welcome. My guess is, that won't be the last time you'll come to me with an injury. You seem to be drawn to dangerous situations." He laughed. Lulyn smiled. "Now go, explore. Make yourself at home."

Lulyn nodded and left.

Rivendell was quite beautiful, Lulyn sat in a tree, staring at one of the distant waterfalls. She felt so comfortable and at home here, she never wanted to leave. She glanced over her shoulder and saw some elf maidens setting a table, most likely for the company. She slid down from the tree and approached them. She saw a harp, and plucked a few of the strings as she passed it. The elf maidens looked up to Lulyn and smiled. "Mae Govannen." One of them said warmly. Lulyn smiled and nodded to the elf maiden, watching her graceful movements as she set porcelain plates on the table. Lulyn's guess was all fourteen of those plates wouldn't make it through supper. She offered to help the elf maidens and began setting out very delicious looking foods in beautiful baskets and bowls.

That evening, after dinner, Lulyn found herself wandering a courtyard where there were many fountains and trees that were still bearing beautiful fruit in late autumn. Lulyn found herself tempted to pick one of the rather unusual fruits.

"Go on. They're here for eating." A voice said from behind Lulyn.

She whipped around and reached for her sword. She found it wasn't there and was quickly falling into a panic. She looked up and saw it was only Elrond.

The elf smiled. "Mae govannen, Lulyn." He greeted in elvish.

"Suilon, my lord Elrond." Lulyn said with a slight bow. Lulyn went to rest her hand on her sword, but it wasn't there.

" I must have dropped it over the edge of the cliff." Lulyn muttered to herself.

"I may have a sword that would be fit for you. Follow me." Elrond said.

Elrond led Lulyn to the armory. The walls were covered with swords and many other elvish weapons of every kind. Elrond scanned the wall and took down a short sword in it's scabbard.

He handed it to Lulyn. She took the sword out of the scabbard and looked at the elvish runes. She translated them in her head; they translated to warrior.

"Hannon le." She thanked.

"You'll need a sword if you are to slay orcs." Elrond smiled.

That night, Lulyn stood out on a balcony with Kor. He preened his feathers as Lulyn stared out into the night. There was little movement throughout Rivendell, though there were a few elf guards walking around, keeping watch over Rivendell. Lulyn decided to head off to bed and changed into a pale blue night gown with long droopy sleeves. The elf maidens gave it to her and insisted she wear it.

Later on, Lulyn tried to sleep, but it didn't work. She got up and wandered the halls of Rivendell. Her bare feet made no sound as she crept through the halls. She strolled past Kili's room. The door was half open, and on the balcony stood a rather sad looking Kili. She turned around and silently pushed the door open. She leaned in the doorway, unsure what to say. Lulyn cleared her throat, and Kili quickly turned around, his eyes were slightly red and puffy and he was clutching a white wad of fabric, probably a handkerchief.

"Hey. You okay?" Lulyn said from the doorway.

Kili turned away to face the night again. "Yea, I'm fine."

Lulyn stood next to Kili. "I don't buy that. There's obviously something wrong."

Kili half smiled. "Nothing gets past you."

"You're doing a pretty terrible job at hiding this one." Lulyn smiled gently..

Kili sighed. "I uh, just received word that my mother was killed…by orcs."

Lulyn gasped. "I...I'm sorry...if it helps at all, I know the feeling."

Kili looked at Lulyn and raised an eyebrow. "You do?"

Lulyn nodded. "My family…they uh, were killed by orcs. We were ambushed." She said, tearing up. She sniffled.

Kili took Lulyn by the arm and they sat on the bed. Lulyn took in a shaky breath.

"At least we have something in common." Kili said, trying to lighten the mood.

"What's that?" Lulyn said, wiping her eyes.

"We both have a reason for revenge on the orcs."

Lulyn smiled. "I wish it was that simple...I don't think revenge is a strong enough word. Orcs ruined my life...you could say. We had huge plans to go visit every city and village in Middle Earth. We were going to do it together—as a family." Lulyn's eyes stung with tears. "But it's the past now. It doesn't matter anymore."

Kili stared at the ground.

"But hey, Kili, you may not have reclaimed Erebor, you may not have a family, aside from Fili and Thorin, and things may look bad now, but just think, when we defeat the orcs, we can build a new mountain home. You may have a better chance. You've got the company...they're there for you when you need them. Things will get better. I just know it. Even if we may have lost a lot to the orcs." Lulyn said. She sniffled and realized she was getting all teary-eyed again.

Kili took Lulyn's hand and opened it. He placed the handkerchief in it. "Here. You need it more than I do."

Lulyn un-crumpled the handkerchief and looked at it. On one of the corners, Kili's name was embroidered in purple. "I never thought you were one to carry a handkerchief."

"Oh, I'm not. It was a gift from Bilbo. I never use it though." Kili chuckled.

Lulyn smiled and sniffled again. "I suppose I should head off to bed. Goodnight, Kili."

Kili smiled and watched Lu leave the room. Then he decided to go to bed himself. As Lulyn left the room, she felt eyes on her. She turned and saw the dark shape of Thorin down the hall, walking to his room. He stopped and looked at her. She couldn't see his face that well, but she didn't have to to know that his eyes were tear stained. But, hey, she knew what it felt like to lose a sister. She continued to bed and quickly fell asleep.

Did you catch it? If you did…*gives you a cookie*


	5. Chapter 5: The Fell Voice

In the morning, at breakfast, the company sang and belched and were quite loud. Lulyn, though, had more elf like table manners, and so she sat in the middle of this obnoxious dwarf bunch quietly and ate. While they were eating, Elrond pulled Thorin away quietly. Lulyn got up and followed out of curiosity. They came to a small room with a table in the center. On the table, was a map of middle earth, it was quite large, and Lulyn seemed to just now realize how big the world was. She examined the map closely, forgetting the reason they were there. Thorin cleared his throat and Lulyn stood up straight, knowing she could examine the map later.

"Recently I've been noticing the unusually large number of orcs on our borders. That was one of the reasons I was away last night. I've done some research and I do believe that the orcs are gathering in Ered Mithrin." Elrond stated, tapping that spot on the map.

"How do we know your research is correct?" Thorin asked bitterly.

Elrond sighed. "Well, you might just have to go on faith."

Thorin frowned. "And if you're wrong?"

"I do not believe I am wrong, for the signs are pointing toward Ered Mithrin. But in the event that I am wrong, there is always a chance they could be hiding in Dol Goldur once again. Or you could go to Thranduil and see what he knows." Elrond suggested.

Thorin grunted. "I'll take my chances in Ered Mithrin."

Elrond nodded. "I figured that would be your choice."

"So, what's our path?" Lulyn asked.

Thorin inspected the map. "Well, I would assume we would all prefer the quickest route, which would be cutting through Mirkwood, then-"

"You shouldn't take the path through Mirkwood." Elrond advised.

Thorin frowned. "And why not?"

"Thranduil has extra scouts stationed all over Mirkwood. If they see you, they'll most probably put you in prison." Elrond explained.

"But going through Mirkwood is quicker." Thorin argued.

"Not if we are arrested by elves." Lulyn chimed in.

Thorin shot her a warning look, apparently, he didn't want her opinion.

"If we go through Mirkwood, we can get into the mountain where the orcs are, kill some and get out." Thorin said.

Elrond sighed. He muttered something along the lines of, "Save me from the stubbornness of dwarves!" Then took a breath. "I'm only trying to give you the best advice I can. If Thranduil arrests you, he may not release you. Anytime soon."

"Fine. We'll go around Mirkwood." He grumbled. "We leave as soon as possible." He looked at Lulyn. "If you're coming, you best get ready now. And go find my nephews." He ordered.

Lulyn nodded and ended up searching all over Rivendell for the brothers, which was an adventure in itself. She got lost...twice, and found Fili in the armory, seeing if he could hide any more weapons and take them with him...like he needed more. Once she dragged him out of there, she found Kili flirting the some elf maidens, who were relieved when Lulyn managed to get him to come with her. The group met at the gate, where Gandalf was speaking to Thorin, saying something about how he's staying in Rivendell to do research. Gandalf couldn't stress enough that they "MUST go around Mirkwood".

As they left, the elf maidens gave Lulyn Kor, who had been all cleaned up and looked the nicest he had looked in a long time. He didn't look too happy with the gems all weaved through his feathers; he could barely fly. By the time they had left, he had most of the gems plucked out.

That night, they found shelter in a cave in the Misty Mountains. Of course, the company made sure it wasn't an entrance to Goblin Town. It was around midnight, and Lulyn stared at her scarred hands. She lay awake, replaying the moment when she thought she had had her final adventure, then the look Kili had given her when he saved her life popped into her head. She smiled when she recalled his words: "Just consider it payment of my debt." And his charming smile, and his dark brown eyes, and his...woah woah woah, wait. Was she..? No...she couldn't be. She'd just met the dwarf for goodness sake. She decided to forget about it and go to sleep. She rolled over and pulled the blanket up over her shoulder. When she fell sleep, her dreams were not pleasant.

Lulyn and her parents galloped across the terrain. The sun was setting, and they w"ere having a race. Even if it was the anniversary of her big sister's death, the grief was behind her and this would be what she would've wanted. They stopped in a little valley, surrounded by mountains once the sun had set and the ponies were tired. Lulyn laughed and hugged her parents. They pulled out their picnic and started to eat a pie her mother had bought while they were in Bree. Lulyn always loved her mother's necklace. It twinkled in the sunlight and glowed In the moonlight. She loved to hear the story about how one of her great-great-great dwarf relatives stole the amethyst from the orcs and made a necklace out of it for his wife. She was never told the end though.

A twig snapped in the underbrush. In the blink of an eye, Lulyn's father had his bow ready and her mother had her sword drawn. Lulyn noched an arrow in her bow that her father taught her how to use. Turns out, it was a squirrel. Lulyn and her parents sat down again, and as Lulyn's mother cut another piece of pie, an arrow stuck right into it, splattering it everywhere. Then, out of the underbrush came an Orc, then another, then another, then another. Four more joined the three already in the valley. "Lu, get behind me." Her father ordered. Lulyn did, but then another Orc came up behind them. Azog the Defiler. He was followed by several other orcs, which Lu didn't want to take the time to count. Lulyn gasped and tugged and her father's tunic sleeve frantically. He spun and instantly let his arrow go. Azog dodged it like there was nothing to it. Nine orcs encircled The Nobleheart family, weapons ready. Azog and Lulyn's father had a discussion in black speech, which she couldn't make out, but it sent chills up and down her spine. She glanced toward the ponies, they stood there, nervous and fidgety. The discussion continued, she caught something, for the conversation switched to Elvish. It ended with Azog shouting, "Then the line of thieves will be ended!" And there, before her eyes, Lulyn watched as Azog impaled her mother. Lulyn gasped and looked away, clinging to her father's leg. "Odelia!" Her father exclaimed, dropping to his knees at her side. Lulyn swallowed hard. Her mother lay motionless, and her breath was gone. "The dwarfling next!" An excited Orc exclaimed. Lulyn gasped. Her father took the necklace from her mother's neck and clutched it. A single tear rolled down his face. Azog raised his weapon, ready to make his next kill. Quick as lightning, her father opened her hand and put the necklace in it. "Lu, take this and run. Run and don't look back. Remember, the past doesn't matter. ...Lu?" He said, teary eyed. "Yes Adad?" She asked hurriedly. "Anin mela lle." Lulyn began to cry. "I love you too, Adad." She whispered. And with that, she turned ran as fast as she could, she glanced over her shoulder and saw her father fighting Azog, and losing. She looked up at one of the other mountains that surrounded the valley. She gasped when she noticed the Elvenking on his elk and some soldiers standing by, watching her father lose his battle. She wondered if they had been there the whole last thing she remembered was the angry roar of Azog echoing across the mountains and seeing him jump up over the ridge she was standing on.

Lulyn woke with a start, she sat up quick with a gasp. She found herself curled up against the cave wall, tears streaming down her face. She silently cried and decided to take a walk to clear her head. She got up and slipped away, climbing out of the cave. She stayed well away from the edge of the cliff, knowing no one would hear her if she pulled what she did the other night again. The starlight made her necklace glow, reminding her of the nights when she couldn't sleep and so her mother would tell her the story of how the necklace came to her family. She smiled, fingering the necklace. She then heard a rumble nearby. She turned as she felt the ground shaking beneath her, slow...then faster and harder. There was a fell voice in the air, loud, but distant, as if it was trying to bring down the mountain. Lulyn rushed inside the cave and saw the dwarves hurrying to get their things together. "Someone is trying to bring down the mountain!" She called over the loud rumbling and the falling stones, getting larger and larger by the minute. After Thorin shouted a few orders, which Lulyn couldn't make out, the group escaped the cave and ran quickly as to get off that mountain. The voice died away as they got further, but the next few mountains appeared to be shaking and crumbling too. The company ran their way out of the mountains that night, Lulyn was the only one who thought to grab the ponies, she knew they'd need them later on. Once the group was out of the Misty Mountains, they pretty much collapsed from exhaustion. Every one slept well that night, no one even thought of taking watch, for they were all too tired. Lulyn stared back toward the mountain range. She wondered who was trying to stop them. That was obviously no accident.


	6. Chapter 6: In the Elvenking's Halls

**I love antagonizing Thraunduil ^_^ Yea, he's not a bad guy, but he's not Lu's best friend...don't for to review! Reviews are fun and magical!**

The next morning, they reached the outskirts of Mirkwood. Lulyn started to turn, but Thorin kept right on going. "Thorin, what are you doing?" She said, turning Brisa.

"We're going through Mirkwood." He said.

"Gandalf specifically told you NOT to go through Mirkwood. In fact, he couldn't stress it enough." Lulyn reminded. Thorin glared. "This will be quicker, we're going through Mirkwood."

"I think Lu's right. Gandalf did say to go around Mirkwood." Kili put in. Lulyn was surprised Kii was on her side. She thought he always wanted to impress Thorin...not as much as Fili, but that's another story entirely.

Lulyn looked to Thorin, waiting for him to stick to the original plan. Thorin just shook his head. Lulyn sighed and gripped her reins tightly. "At least let the ponies go around. Mirkwood is no place for equines." Thorin begrudgingly agreed and dismounted. Lulyn told Kor to lead the ponies around Mirkwood. And with that he chattered and fluttered over the sit on one of the ponies' heads. Thorin turned and walked into the dark forest. Lulyn watched as the company hesitantly followed him. She followed after them, only to stay in the back. "This won't end well." She muttered to Kili.

The company wandered through the woods for what seemed like days, but it had only been a few hours. Around noon, the company stopped to eat. Gloin got a fire going to cook soup. Lulyn leaned anxiously against a tree, rubbing her arm. When she was offered lunch, but she declined. Lulyn didn't have any appetite. She wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. As everyone was finishing, they began to walk again. Lulyn jumped at every little sound she didn't recognize.

Eventually, Kili said, "Hey, calm down, Lu. It'll be fine." He put a hand on her shoulder. Lu couldn't help but relax. Okay, she seriously had a problem. The last time she relaxed when someone had said something like that, it was her father speaking. Her train of thought was broken when an arrow whistled and stuck into the ground at her feet. She jumped back and tripped over the root of a tree. She caught herself, but froze when she heard the sound of elven voices calling to each other nearby. Many elves with white blonde or auburn hair jumped from trees and some seemed to step out of nowhere, weapons drawn. Lulyn backed toward Kili. They were back to back. She whispered, "Told you this wouldn't end well."

Lulyn saw a few dwarves charge, but the moment they did, the elves simply parried the attack and grabbed the dwarf to bind their hands. An elf grabbed Lulyn and bound her hands. "Unhand me! You have no right to do this!" She yelled as he dragged her off.

The elves threw each of the dwarves into a prison cell, not in the most gentle way either.

"I never thought I'd be back in here." Gloin said.

Thorin hit the bars of his cell and let out an angry yell. Lulyn wanted to say "I told you so!" In the worst way, but she didn't think that wouldn't help the situation. Many dwarves attempted to bust their way out, slamming against the prison cell's bars.

"It's no use," Balin said. "You all remember, we've tried before, it won't work. These bars are of elvish make."

Lulyn sighed and rested her head on the bars. She tried to think of this as a detour, but it didn't help with her worry for Brisa and Kor. She was afraid orcs would attack them or something.

An hour or two later, Lulyn found herself asleep, sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. Her slumber was interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. She dragged herself to the bars and stood up. She saw the Elvenking Thranduil heading toward her cell. He stopped in front of her cell, towering over her. Lulyn took a step or two backward, seeing his elf size compared to her small dwarf height.

"Ah, Lulyn Nobleheart. It's been far too long." He said rather sarcastically. "So I see you're traveling with this company of dwarves now. Hm. Small world. These dwarves have been in my prisons before."

Lulyn raised an eyebrow. "I do not believe we have met." She said.

Thranduil chuckled. "No, you're right. We have not. But I knew your father quite well." He said. "I'm sure you do recall me. This isn't our first encounter with each other, though it is our first meeting."

Lulyn tried to figure out what he meant, but she never fully understood elves. Of course she knew who he was but she...wait. "You. You were the one I saw that day...when—"

"Yes. I was there when your line was nearly ended. You are lucky you're alive, Lulyn Nobleheart."

Lulyn was speechless, her mouth hung open as if she were going to say something.

"You know, your father should have come to me, the day he died." He said, bringing up Lulyn's past, something she did _not_ want to talk about. "He knew he couldn't run from his past. Or his kin. He knew he needed my help."

"He never needed your help!" Lulyn exploded. "My father hated elves, you know that! He wouldn't turn to you if you were the last person in Middle Earth!"

"You don't think he needed my help? With you gone, he was facing an Orc pack _alone_. I had a group of elves at the ready, if only he would have asked. He might still be alive today." Thranduil taunted.

"You waited for him to ask?! Why you...you cowardly elfling! You should have helped him! All you did was stand by and watch him die!" Lulyn yelled, tears rolling down her face.

"And perhaps he is better dead. He was only half elf. His blood was tainted by the dwarves. So is yours, so don't expect any special treatment. " Thranduil said, turning and leaving. "I don't want your favor anyway!" Lulyn shouted after him, her voice breaking. She retreated to the back of her cell and sat against the wall, knees to her chest, crying. She knew that past didn't matter, what's done is done. But the way Thranduil spoke to her really fueled her hate for elves, and her past was almost too painful for her to think about, so it was often shoved to the back of her mind.

Lulyn rested her head on her knees as she quietly sobbed. A scratching sound caught her attention, and she saw a rock on the wall fall to the ground, then the face of Kili through the little opening. Lulyn sniffled. "Kili?" She asked.

Kili nodded and smiled. "Looks like someone who was here in the past wanted to talk to his neighbor." He chuckled.

Lulyn gave Kili a sad smile, another tear ran down her face. "Oh, here." Kili said, reaching into his pocket. He handed her a piece of crumpled off-white fabric. Lulyn un-wadded the fabric and saw it was the handkerchief. "You dropped it when the mountain was coming down. I figured you might still need it at some point." Kili smiled.

Lulyn gave him another sad smile and dried her eyes with the handkerchief.

"You're part elf?" He asked. Lulyn nodded.

"My father was half elf. He was the one who taught me how to shoot. He also taught me elvish." She said, trying to keep her voice from breaking again.

"So then elves can't be all that bad." Kili smiled. "I knew an elf once. I met her out in the wood while we were attacked by giant spiders. And later on, after we had been captured, she told me of starlight, how she had walked up there sometimes. I wished she would take me with her, so I could see the white light of forever...Tauriel, her name was."

"What became of her?" Lulyn asked.

"I don't know. The last time I saw her was..." He trailed off, thinking. "Right before..." Kili was interrupted by elven guards coming down the steps, they quickly covered their little window and slid away from the wall, acting as if they were bored out of their minds. They went to Thorin's cell and dragged him upstairs. Lulyn assumed he was going to talk to Thranduil, which of course, ended in Thorin yelling, mostly in dwarvish. Some of the things...correction, most of the things he said weren't too nice, and so they will not be repeated.

Thorin was again dragged back down the steps and thrown back into his cell. He cursed and sat down. Lulyn took in a deep breath. It was time for her to make an escape plan.


	7. Chapter 7: The Journey Continues

**These chapters have been really short lately...They ****_should_**** be getting longer soonish...we're getting close to Ered Mithrin! Don't forget to review! Reviews are magical!**

A couple days later, Lulyn had a plan. She knelt at the bars of the door and rested her head against them. She waited for an elven guard to come by. As he passed her cell, she looked up at the guard with pleading eyes. He stopped and raised an eyebrow. He was young...by elf standards, and was probably new at this guard position. "Yes?" He simply said.

"I...have a headache. I need fresh air. May I take a walk?" Lulyn said, feigning fear and pain. The guard began to walk away. "Please," She said hurriedly. "I haven't seen the sun for days."

The guard thought a moment. He must have felt pity on Lulyn, his expression softened. "Fine. I'll take you outside, but don't you dare try anything. Or I'll call reinforcements." He unlocked Lulyn's cell door and took her by the arm, leading her outside. Lulyn glanced over her shoulder toward Kili. She winked and he smiled. Once Lulyn and the guard were outside, he took her into the woods and they stopped a little while in. She took in a breath of fresh air, she closed her eyes and smiled. "Much better." She breathed as she let her shoulders sag as if she were relaxed. She felt the guard's grip loosen just the slightest bit, and suddenly, she twisted out of his grasp and took off back toward the Elvenking's halls. The elf darted after her. Taking advantage of her head start, Lulyn climbed a tree and watched him run back to the wood elves' place. She went from tree to tree, trying to keep up her pace. By the time he made it to the Elvenking's halls, he was out of breath. He asked the guards of the gates if they had seen her, then ran in to search the halls, hoping Thranduil wouldn't find out. Lulyn smothered a giggle as she watched her plan fall into place. The guard came back outside and talked to the gatekeepers. They agreed to help him search Mirkwood for Lulyn. Lulyn jumped out of her tree as the trio started out. She knocked out the one guard and took his keys. The gatekeepers drew their bows and aimed right between her eyes. "Alright, dwarf," One began. "You will come back to the prisons with us, and you won't get hurt."

Lulyn acted like she was thinking. "Uh, no." Then she whipped around, drew the one gatekeeper's sword, elbowing him with surprising strength, then turned to the other one, holding the sword point to his neck. "Not a word to Thranduil." She said. She gave the gatekeeper a death stare until he nodded. Lulyn managed to sneak back into the prisons and unlocked Thorin's cell first. He gave her a surprised look as she held the door open. The other dwarves cheered as she unlocked their doors. She got a few high fives and pats on the back. When she unlocked Kili's cell, she nudged him with her foot to wake him up. When he saw her standing in the doorway, he smiled brightly, laughed and hugged Lulyn, then spun her.

"Alright Kili, why don't we leave her alive. We may yet have need of her." Balin said with a wink. Lulyn smiled and turned to Thorin. "Have I proven myself?"

Thorin didn't answer, but his expression didn't exactly say "No".

Lulyn still looked at him, awaiting the answer. "Thorin, Anin khiluva lle a' gurtha ar' thar."

Thorin gave her a questioning look. "What does that mean?" He asked.

Lulyn smiled. "It's elvish...for, 'I will follow you to death and beyond'."

Thorin was quiet for a moment. He almost had a glare on his face, but Lulyn's words must have meant something, and his expression softened. "Welcome to the company." He smiled.

Lulyn smiled brightly as the company cheered some more, but their celebration was interrupted by approaching footsteps. "This way!" Thorin instructed, leading them down a long hallway. The company found themselves in a main hall, they tried to remain unseen, which mostly succeeded. They went to the armory and took their weapons back, sheathing their swords and hiding their daggers, swinging their axes and testing their bowstrings, the company managed a quiet escape from the Elvenking's halls. As they reached the front gate, they saw the one gatekeeper. Lulyn dropped to the back and leaned toward the gatekeeper. "Not a word." She hissed, then strode off with the company. They entered Mirkwood again, ready to continue their journey.


	8. Chapter 8: Out of Mirkwood

**Yet another short chapter...oh well...the chapters get longer after chapter 8. Don't forget to review! Reviews are magical!**

The company wandered through the woods aimlessly for the next few days. It seemed like forever until they finally found the path again. Lulyn knew the company would never get out of Mirkwood this way, so she made a decision. "Thorin, we need the ponies." She said. "They know how to navigate this place much better than we do."

"We don't have the ponies. It was your plan to let them go around Mirkwood, remember?" Thorin said.

Lulyn sighed and let out a sharp whistle. Soon, Kor came flying in, with Brisa and the other ponies not far behind. Thorin gave Lulyn a quick smile before he mounted up. Lulyn rubbed Brisa's nose before mounting up and whispering little praises to her. Kor also wanted attention, so he squawked, waiting to get his love. Lulyn smiled and stroked his soft feathers before the company trotted off through Mirkwood, letting the ponies show them the way out.

They made it out of Mirkwood by nightfall and they set up camp just outside the forest. They made some soup for supper, like they had for the past few days. Lulyn took the time to make some bread, which wasn't done until after everyone had finished dinner. She cut it and gave it to the company.

That night, Lulyn lay awake, staring at the sky. A nearby Orc screech caught her attention. She sat up quickly, along. with Thorin, who sat up even faster, if possible. "Wake up. Wake up, all of you. Orcs!" He hissed. In an instant, the company were on their feet, weapons ready. Then, from over a hill, several orcs came at full speed toward the company. Lulyn drew back her bowstring and began shooting down orcs. Kili was doing the same until they got too close, then he drew his sword. Lulyn drew hers, but was knocked back by an Orc. It stood over her, gazing at her with what seemed like hunger...no, thirst. Bloodthirst. The Orc took a jagged knife and held it to Lulyn's neck. She reached for her sword, which was just out of reach. "Not one move, she-dwarf. It'll be your last." The Orc croaked. He said 'she-dwarf' with much distaste. Lulyn slowly moved her hand to her side while the Orc stared at her necklace, almost mesmerized by it. She drew a dagger from her belt and quickly thrust it through the orc's chest. The Orc fell limp off her as she drew the dagger from its chest and put it back in it's scabbard. She lay there panting for a moment. When she realized the battle raging around her, she got up and joined the battle. Grabbing her sword, she charged into the fray. Most of the orcs lunged for her neck, as if the necklace drew them in or something. Three were ganging up on her, driving her backward towards Mirkwood. She was up against a tree and an Orc grabbed for her neck when he was shot down by Kili. Lulyn gave him a grateful smile and a nod and quickly killed the other two orcs. The company killed the rest of the orcs and packed up. They had agreed to go ahead and get an early start, they didn't think they could get back to sleep after that run in with the orcs. As they continued, Lulyn was deep in thought, not paying attention to what was going on around her.

"You alright there, lass?" Balin asked at dawn, when her expression was noticeable.

"I don't know. I guess the Orc attack was just a bit unsettling." Lulyn sighed.

"Are you sure?" Bofur jumped in.

Lulyn nodded, but she kept her head down, staring at Brisa's withers. "Well..." She began. "Those orcs seemed like they wanted something from me. They kept going for my neck...like my necklace attracted them or something." Lulyn fingered with her necklace—a nervous habit–and fell back into her thoughts.

"Would you mind if I had a look at your necklace?" Balin asked.

Lulyn nodded hesitantly, and unhooked the necklace, handing it to Balin. He inspected it for a long time, then handed it back. "Do you know the story behind that necklace?" He asked.

"Well, yes. But I was never told the end."

Balin nodded. "It is indeed not a pleasant one. As you know, a dwarf—one of your distant relations—stole that stone from the orcs." He said, gesturing toward the necklace and Lulyn clipped it back around her neck. "The orcs, in their rage, vowed to end his line, no matter how many generations it would take. That stone there attracts orcs, and once they find you, they have specific orders from their leader to kill you." Balin said.

Lulyn went pale. She swallowed hard and fingered the necklace. "My necklace...the last reminder of my family...attracts orcs?"

Balin nodded. "It's probably best destroyed, lassie."

Lulyn's eyes filled with tears, she tried to blink them away. She nodded, but stayed silent for the rest of that day, deep in thought.


	9. Chapter 9: Anin Mela Lle

**This chaptee is pretty much just Kili/Lulyn fluffy stuff...chapters get longer from here on out, so don't fret! I'm super psyched for the next chapter..it's probably my favorite chapter xP anyway, enjoy! Don't forget to review! Reviews are magical!**

They made it to Ered Mithrin two days later. They still had one wall of mountains to cross before they made it to the tallest mountain in the Withered Heath—the orcs' hideout. They were attacked by orcs multiple times, more and more frequently. They had three dwarves on watch each night, just in case someone were to fall asleep.

That night, Lulyn, Bombur and Ori were on first watch...Bombur and Ori both fell asleep, leaving Lulyn to watch. Her eyelids dropped, but she managed to stay awake, she was too nervous, being this close to the orcs. That day, Thorin had told the company they were going to keep traveling through the mountains and go around the valley, figuring they could use the cover of the mountains to their advantage. Lulyn stroked

Kor's feathers. He chattered approvingly as she did so. A twig snapped behind Lulyn and she spun around, seeing Kili standing there. She relaxed and turned back to watching. "Sorry." He apologized, sitting down next to her.

"It's fine." She sighed, leaning back against a rock.

"What's the matter?" Kili asked.

Lulyn sighed. "It's been a weird few days." She told him.

"Every day is an adventure with the company." He smiled and winked at Lulyn. She tried to return his smile, but she could only give him a half smile.

"So, this whole 'quarter elf' thing, tell me more." Kili said.

Lu sat forward and rested her chin on her hands.

"Well, there's not much to tell. My father was half elf and my grandmother was a full blooded elf." She told. "I was taught many elven things, such as shooting a bow and I've been taught all about Mereth en Gilith. Though, my father hated elves. He never told me why though. I also know Elvish, Khuzdul and of course, the common tongue." She said.

"Elvish?" Kili asked. Lulyn nodded. "Teach me some elvish." He said with a smile.

Lulyn thought. "Well, greetings is 'suilon' and farewell is 'novaer'."

Kili nodded. "What else do you know?" He asked.

"Well, we'd be here for a while if I told you everything I knew. But there is... 'Cormlle naa tanya tel'raa' which means 'your heart is that of a lion' and there's My bow shall sing with your sword,

'Cuanin linduva yassen megrille' ." She paused. "Oh, and of course, there's 'Anin mela lle'".

Kili looked at her. "What does that mean?"

Lu smiled and looked up at the stars. "I love you...uh, er, that's what it means." She cleared her throat and turned a little red. She hoped is wasn't noticeable.

Kili couldn't help but smile. "That's cool. Y'know, I've always sorta had a thing for elves."

Lulyn raised her eyebrows. "Really? Well, then you won't mind finishing up first watch for me." She said, patting him on the back and standing up. Kili was going to argue, but Lulyn hurried off before he could. He smiled, then looked out into the night, smiling to himself about Lulyn. Maybe this time he had a chance.


	10. Chapter 10: Unexpected

**These next couple chapters are my absolute favorites! Enjoy!**

As the group continued, Orc attacks became less and less. The peace was unnerving. Lulyn kept a hand on her sword at all times, just in case the orcs were to ambush the company. Lulyn stopped when she realized something. "Thorin?" She said. Thorin and the company halted. "Is there a problem?" He asked. Lulyn hesitated. "There's fourteen of us...and likely thousands of orcs. What exactly do you plan to do when the time comes to fight them?"

Thorin glared. "We'll figure that out when the time comes." He said, trying to hide the fact that he didn't have a plan, and had no idea how they were going to defeat that many orcs.

Lulyn fingered her necklace and looked up at the mountains. The group was traveling through a mountain pass, with cliffs overhanging on either side. The pass continued on and turned a corner. Thorin looked up at the tallest mountain in the Withered Heath, which wasn't too far away now, and thought he saw an Orc race back inside the mountain when he looked up.

As the company continued through the mountains, the ponies became very nervous and fidgety. They were being watched. The company would constantly be glancing over their shoulders, they always felt eyes on them. Nowhere felt safe anymore. Fili and Kili would be constantly reporting sightings of orcs, but when the company went lookin for them, which they did...three times, they couldn't find any orcs.

That night, Lulyn found herself unable to sleep again. She sat up against a boulder and played with a pebble. "Can't sleep again?" A voice said. Lulyn looked up and saw Kili crawling over to sit next to her. Lulyn sighed. "Yea. This whole thing is pretty unnerving though. I carry a necklace that attracts orcs."

Kili smiled. Lulyn couldn't help but smile back when she saw his lopsided grin. She looked up at the hill behind them and climbed it. Kili followed her and found her staring out into the dark, noiseless night. They sat and looked out over the dark terrain. Kili sighed. "You know, Lu, I've been meaning to ask you, why did you come after the company?" Kili asked. Lulyn looked at Kili and raised an eyebrow. He looked at her like he wanted an answer. She sighed.

"I needed adventure. I wondered if things would be interesting with thirteen guys. It definitely is." She said.

Kili chuckled. "C'mon, what's your real reason?" He lightly punched her shoulder. "You didn't happen to follow us because of a certain handsome dwarf?" He winked.

"How did you know I came after Bombur?" Lulyn joked, acting surprised. She smiled. "It was unexpected. I mixed things up. I wanted family. It keeps life interesting." A cheeky smile spread across her lips. "Like this!" She said, shoving Kili down the hill with a laugh. She threw herself down and rolled after him, meeting him laying at the bottom of the hill. They laughed for a long time, looking up at the stars as they tried to get themselves together.

"So it was unexpected, eh?" Kili said, sitting up and raising his eyebrows.

Lulyn nodded and looked into the dwarf's dark eyes, also sitting up and hugging her knees.

"Well then, how's this for unexpected?" He said, leaning forward and gently pressing his lips hers. Lulyn smiled and returned the kiss, placing a hand on Kili's shoulder. She pulled away.

"That wasn't unexpected. I saw that one coming from the day we met." Lulyn said. Kili looked down. "But that doesn't mean I didn't like it." she smiled, and leaned in to kiss him again. Kili pulled her close and rested a hand on her cheek. They broke apart to see a shooting star fly across the sky. Lulyn looked back toward the top of the hill, knowing they would have to go back at some point.

"We should get back." Lulyn said, resting her head on Kili's shoulder. He smiled. "Well, yeah, we should. But it's a beautiful night, let's stargaze." He said. Lulyn smiled. "Okay."

Kili laid back with Lulyn to look up at the stars. She snuggled close to Kili as a chilly breeze blew, the cold nipping at her face.

For an hour or two, Lulyn and Kili talked and laughed, then eventually, they realized whoever was on watch would likely notice they were gone.

As the couple crested the hill, they saw Thorin was on watch, but he hadn't seemed to notice they were missing. They snuck back into camp and fell asleep.

The next morning, when Lulyn woke, she saw Kili asleep next to her. She didn't recall him falling asleep there, but she didn't think more of it. She looked around and was relieved to see no one awake. She got up and began making breakfast for the company. Bombur was the first to wake at the smell of oatmeal, he nearly jumped three feet in the air when he saw her cooking. Lulyn giggled, which probably woke the rest of the company. As she stirred the contents of the pot, Kili came and sat next to her. She looked up at him, and her cheeks grew slightly warm.

"Good morning." He said.

Lulyn turned her attention back to the oatmeal. "Good morning, Kili." She smiled.

"How did you sleep?" He asked.

"I slept well." She said. Why was talking to him so awkward now? She bit her lip and scooped the oatmeal into bowls, then she and Bofur handed out them to each member of the company.

"So are we...like, a thing now? Or..." Kili began.

Lulyn's cheeks grew redder. She simply shrugged. "We'll see." She smiled. She cleared her those and looked at her bowl.

The company packed their things after they finished eating and waited for Thorin's orders. He didn't say anything for a long time. He just sat and thought. Eventually, he noticed the company waiting for him to say or do something. So he mounted his pony and they started off.

Lulyn was up at the front by Thorin, speaking to him of what he was thinking about. He told her how peculiar it was that they hadn't been attacked by orcs for nearly a week now.

After a while, Thorin dropped the subject. "So, what were you doing with my nephew last night?" He asked.

Lulyn turned about twelve shades of red. "I, uh, I um...we... Why would you think we were doing something?" She stuttered in a highly undignified way.

"Well, for one thing, you two were missing for a few hours of the night...and you weren't exactly quiet." He smiled teasingly.

Lulyn was still very red in the face. "Well...uh...we..."

Thorin chuckled. "I may have a good guess." He winked. Lulyn gave a nervous laugh, and her cheeks were still hot, but she didn't feel as embarrassed as she would have expected. What puzzled Lulyn the most was the fact that Thorin was actually teasing her. Who was this and what did he do with Thorin Oakenshield? She shrugged it off and dropped back with Kili, who was being bugged by Fili to tell him what happened between him and Lu last night. "C'mon, please Kili?" Fili nudged Kili.

Kili punched Fili in the shoulder lightly and they laughed.

"Lu, what happened?" He asked.

Lulyn just smirked and shook her head. Fili frowned, but accepted the fact he wasn't going to get anything out of them. They would leave him guessing.

Lulyn found it hard to make eye contact with Kili without blushing slightly. They rode next to each other in a pleasant silence. The silence was broken though, by a screech. An orc screech.


	11. Chapter 11: This is Why We're Here

**Finally, chapter 10! Don't forget to review! Reviews are magical!**

Orcs came running around the corner, heading straight for the company. Lulyn looked at Thorin, waiting for instruction. "Run!" He called as they kicked the ponies into a gallop. They ran around bends, twists and turns, and soon found themselves on a high peak. The ponies came to a cliff and reared, throwing the dwarves off, then running off down the hill. Kor flapped overhead. "Kor, get the ponies safe and get us help!" She orderedthe owl. Kor screeched in reply and flew off in the direction of the ponies. She focused her attention on the orcs and nocked an arrow. She aimed and let the arrow fly, hitting an Orc in the chest. The others still kept coming, weapons ready. Lulyn glanced at Thorin. "We can't fight them! There's too many!" She said.

Thorin kept staring at the oncoming orcs. "This is why we're here." He told her. "Hold your ground!" He ordered the company. Lulyn drew her sword and gave Thorin an unsure look. She glanced back at Kili who aapeared to be feeling the same thing as her. Intense. Overwhelming. Fear.

She tried to keep her hand from shaking as the oncoming legion of orcs seemed to speed up. A battle broke out between the orcs and dwarves. Lulyn ducked under an axe being swung by one Orc as she stabbed the other, then turned to the Orc who was going to have the same fate. Lulyn took an arrow from her quiver and jabbed it into an orc's back, then yanked it free and shot it at another. She spun and took the dagger from her belt, thrusting it into another unlucky Orc. Lulyn sheathed her dagger and shot at a few more orcs, each arrow hitting its mark. Most of the orcs were dead by is time. She glanced at some orcs who were retreating to their leader, Ugrot. He smiled wickedly and drew his weapon, a jagged, blood stained blade. Ugrot stalked toward Lulyn, ready for another battle. Lulyn swallowed hard and stood her ground. When Ugrot began to charge, he caught Lulyn off guard and knocked her aside, she slammed into a rock and she was dazed. "Lu!" Kili yelled somewhere nearby. Through her blurry vision, she saw Kili go to stab Ugrot, but he too was knocked aside by the giant Orc. She hoped what she heard was a branch snapping, and not one of Kili's arms. Her vision focused and she saw the great Orc advancing toward her. She stood...or sat...her ground as he came right up close and got in her face. "So...this is the she-dwarf I was told of. The one from the thieving line of dwarves and her blood tainted by the elves." Ugrot said in a low, raspy voice with breath that smelled worse than a dead rat. Lulyn tried to casually reach for her sword, but Ugrot snatched it up and looked at it. It shone bright blue in his hands, he squinted at the blade. "Elvish. Disgusting." He snapped the sword like a twig and threw the pieces aside. Lulyn wanted to scream. That was the second sword she'd lost on this journey. And she wasn't happy about it. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "So. Elf-dwarf." He said with distaste. "I'll take this," he gestured toward her necklace. "And I'll be on my way...after I've killed you." He sneered. Lulyn felt rage and hate well up inside her. "Leave now, snake. Anin fueya ten' lle, 'ksher!" She exclaimed. Ugrot growled and smacked Lulyn across the face with the flat side of his sword, giving her a nice cut across her cheek. "Do not say such things to an Orc with power such as I possess." He sheathed his sword and picked Lulyn up by the neck, like a goose. She wanted to squirm out of his grasp, but the more she did, the tighter he would hold her. "Lulyn!" Kili called. He rushed forward, but Thorin stopped him. "Wait." Thorin said. Kili looked at Thorin with anger and question. But Thorin just watched in Lulyn's direction. "This is her fight."

Lulyn closed her eyes and tried to take a deep breath. Ugrot enjoyed watching her suffer. "Yes, indeed this is her fight. One that she will lose. Just like her father did." As He spoke, Lulyn felt her airway close off. She gasped for breath. Ugrot smiled evilly and continued, "Though Azog may not have been able to end your line, I will do it for him. To avenge him." He pulled the necklace from Lulyn's neck, snapping the lace and he threw Lulyn to the feet of Thorin. She lay on the ground, coughing and gasping for air. She pushed herself up to a half sitting position to see Ugrot drawing his weapon. "Then, maybe I'll kill Oakenshield. Though, I thought he was already dead. No matter, let's get on with this. He said, raising his weapon. Lulyn was defenseless, her strength had gone and her sword was broken. She closed her eyes and waited for Ugrot's blade to fall. But it never came. She heard the zing of a sword being drawn and the sound of a stab. Lulyn opened her eyes to see Ugrot fall to the ground...dead. She turned to see Thorin sheathing Orcrist. Lulyn was breathing heavily as her arms gave out. Kili knelt quickly and cradled her in his arms. She felt a few tears slip down her cheeks as she finally managed to take a few ragged breaths. She used her final burst of energy to fight the surviving orcs. The battle ended as quickly as it had started, and Lulyn stood, legs shaking and eyes watering. She knelt and picked up the shattered pieces of what once was her necklace. It had been trampled and the lace had been cut. She let out a quiet sob as she stared at the broken reminder of her past. Kili came up behind her and hugged her.

Lulyn stood on the edge of a cliff a few hours later, holding the remains of her necklace close to her heart. A tear slipped down her cheek as she looked at the pieces. "You alright?" Kili asked, coming up behind her and putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Kili, I think I need to be alone right now." She said. Kili stood beside Lulyn and stared out at the setting sun. He glanced at the broken pieces in Lulyn's hands.

"Hey, you need to let it go. Remember what you told me before, it's the past now, it doesn't matter." He said. Lulyn hesitated.

"Will it make the pain go away?" She said, voice wavering.

"No. But it will be a step in that direction." He gave Lulyn a sad smile. She returned it weakly. Without another word, Kili turned and left. Lulyn took one last look at the broken pieces in her hands and looked out at the depths below. She held the pieces close one last time, then cast them down, they disappeared into the mist below. As tears clouded her vision, she turned to see the whole company standing behind her, Thorin in front. Lulyn went to Thorin and hugged him, sobbing as she did so. Thorin hesitated a moment, but held her close as she cried into his coat.

The next day, Lulyn lingered behind the company as they travelled. She seemed wilted, less bright than usual. Kili tried to talk to her every now and then, but she wouldn't respond. Eventually, Bofur dropped back to see if he could make her feel better. "How are you doing, lass?" He asked gently. Lulyn stared at the ground and shrugged. "I don't know. Okay, I guess." She mumbled. Bofur smiled and put a hand on Lulyn's shoulder. "That's good to hear." He said. "Would you like to hear a story?"

Lulyn glanced up and gave Bofur a curious look.

"It'll make you feel better." He said.

Lulyn smiled. "I guess." She said, her voice cracking.

"Alright. I'll tell you about the time I fell down the stairs."

Lulyn giggled lightly as he told the story. She felt a little bit better after that.

That night, Lulyn couldn't sleep again. She hadn't slept well for the last week or so. She tossed and turned, then sat up and groaned. She huffed out a breath and walked to the mouth of the cave that'd found for shelter. Lulyn felt the wind on her face as she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, smiling at he refreshing breeze. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?" A deep voice said from behind her. She spun and saw Thorin leaning against the stone, arms crossed. He walked over and stood beside her as she turned to face the night. "I couldn't sleep." She admitted. Thorin put an arm around Lulyn and held her close. They sat against the stone just outside the cave. Lulyn stared at the ground. "Uh, Thorin?" She said, not taking her gaze from the ground.

"Hm?" He hummed, raising an eyebrow.

Lulyn got up her courage and looked the dwarf in the eye. "Why are you all the sudden being so nice to me?" She asked awkwardly.

Thorin chuckled and half smiled. "You make my nephew happy, I don't think I have much of a choice. Besides, you're not half bad for an elf-dwarf. I think I can tolerate you."

Lulyn smiled. "Are you sure? Or am I just growing on you?" She said teasingly, elbowing him.

"Well maybe a little." He admitted. Lulyn laughed and leaned into Thorin. She reached to play with her necklace, but realized it wasn't there. She lowered her hand back to her lap.

"If you don't mind my asking, why was that necklace so important to you?" He said. Lulyn felt tears stinging her eyes, but she blinked them back.

"It was the last reminder I had of my family. My father gave it to me before he—" she faltered. Thorin gave her a questioning look as she swallowed hard. "Before he...died. He was killed by Azog." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Azog." He echoed quietly.

Lulyn looked up at Thorin, who seemed to be deep in thought. "You know of him?" She asked. Thorin nodded.

"I've had dealings with that Orc. He's the reason they call me 'Oakenshield'." He explained.

Lulyn squeezed her eyes shut at the memory of her mother's death, how she had been killed right in front of her. A single tear ran down her cheek.

"Is there anything that you want to talk about?" Thorin asked. He had a warm gentleness in his voice, something Lulyn hadn't heard from him before. His tone coaxed her to tell him her backstory. She hadn't told anyone before, Thorin was the first person she'd trusted enough to tell. Wait...when did that happen? All of the sudden she trusted this random dwarf...who cared about her. Not in the same way Kili did, but in another way...like, a fatherly way. Lulyn rested her head on Thorin's shoulder and began to drift off to sleep. Thorin woke her when he said, "Why don't you head off to bed." Lulyn nodded and stood, walking to her bedroll and soon finding sleep.


	12. Chapter 12: Letting it Out

**Don't forget to review! Reviews are magical!**

Several more days passed as the group trudged on through the mountains. Lulyn found herself becoming good friends with Bofur. Fili also seemed to notice something was happening between her and Kili, and became a good friend of hers as well. He eventually coaxed the story out of her about what's been going on.

The company found a cave to find shelter at night. The mouth of the cave looked straight at the mountain where the orcs hid. Lulyn still had trouble sleeping at night and she found herself worrying a lot more than she'd like. While Thorin went to assign people to watch, Lulyn offered to take first watch that night.

"You need your rest. We attack tomorrow." Thorin said as Lulyn crossed her arms.

"I'm not going to sleep anyway. I might as well be useful while I'm not sleeping." She argued.

Thorin glared. "Fine." He agreed begrudgingly. Lulyn smiled and hugged Thorin. "Thanks." She whispered. She pulled away with a smirk as the company gave them a weird look.

The night was quiet. A lot quieter than Lulyn would have liked. She stared worriedly at the mountain that lay in front of them. Lulyn wondered how many orcs hid inside that mountain, and how in Middle Earth they were supposed to go through with their plan. The thirteen of them couldn't just waltz in there and say, "Howdy! We are here to kill you all! We hope you don't mind!"

She sighed and leaned against the cave wall, playing with a thread from her very worn red dress.

The night drew on, Lulyn woke Ori up for second watch. Though Lulyn acted as if she were asleep, she lay there wide awake. Eventually, she was taken by sleep, and when it was time to get up in the morning, she found herself nodding off as she packed her few things. She wondered about the ponies, and if Kor had taken them somewhere safe. She worried for them. Brisa and Kor had been her only two friends after what had happened when she had her little meet up with Azog.

The mountain was so close yet so far now. They would reach the mountain by nightfall and attack. By dinner, Lulyn found herself wandering off to be alone, and when she was far enough away from the group, she sat on a log. Worry and fear overcame her. Lulyn rested her head on her knees and a sob escaped her lips. She let out everything she'd been keeping inside, she thought if she didn't do it soon, she might explode. She got herself together and looked up. She found herself staring into the dark eyes of Kili. She hugged Kili and didn't let go. "Kili, how are we supposed to do this?" She sobbed. "We're way outnumbered. I—I'm afraid."

Kili sighed and held Lulyn close, stroking her hair. "I don't know, Lu. But we've come too far to back down now." He squeezed her lightly. "Don't be afraid."

She sniffled and looked up at Kili as tears still flowed freely down her cheeks. He wiped one away with his thumb and kissed her cheek. "We can only hope for the best." He said, pulling the handkerchief from Lulyn's pocket and handing it to her.

She smiled and took the handkerchief, examining the purple embroidered letters.

"Come on, let's do this." Kili said encouragingly. He kept his arm around Lulyn as they walked back to camp. They quickly ate and then reached the mountain by sunset. Everyone set down their packs, hoping they'd be lucky enough to carry them on another adventure, and started toward the entrance of the mountain.


	13. Chapter 13: The Final Battle

**Here it is, the final chapter! I think this is one of my favorite chapters, just because of the final paragraph. Thanks for reading my fanfic! You're amazing! Don't forget to review! Reviews are magical!**

As they entered the cave, all they saw was darkness. As far as they could see, just darkness. It was extremely quiet, too. The orcs must have been expecting them.

"They're gonna ambush us!" Lulyn hissed to Thorin, trying not to disturb the silence.

Just then, orcs came from every direction, encircling the group. They seemed to appear from thin air as they rushed out of the darkness. They came in thousands, maybe even hundred thousands. "Draw weapons!" Thorin called to the company. Everyone readied their weapons as orcs closed in of them. Lulyn and Kili began firing arrows, which then made the orcs charge. The company began fighting, but they were being driven back into the darkness, where nothing could be seen. As Lulyn fought her way toward the mouth of the cave, torches on either side of the wall were lit. Then the number of orcs could be seen. Lulyn drew her dagger. She began skillfully battling the orcs. A few began to gang up on Lulyn and things began getting difficult. She was knocked on her back and was begging to lose her battle. Lulyn was almost overwhelmed and was going to give up hope when she saw a tan figure fly by. She smiled brightly. "Kor!" She shouted. Lulyn kicked an orc in the chest, stabbed another then slit the throat of the third. Kor came and landed on her shoulder, screeching to her. She ducked through the crowd of orcs to the front of the cave where Thorin was standing, staring out at a large army of elves. Lulyn smiled. Thorin gave her a questioning look as she nearly squeaked with joy. Kor fluttered down to land on Lulyn's shoulder again. "I may have called for a little help." She said, stroking Kor's head. Thorin gave Lulyn a glare, which turned into a smile. She turned and began fighting the orcs again. Then elves began springing into the cave, and they fought with great skill. Lulyn ducked under an orc's axe, spun, and thrust her dagger into one's side. It roared and fell over dead. She somersaulted and finished on her knees, shooting an orc that was about to run Bombur through. Just when things were looking good, an Orc grabbed Lulyn from behind. She let out a cry as he slammed her against a wall. He went for her neck, but then realized there was no necklace. He growled angrily and began dragging her off toward the back of the cave. "Kili!" She screeched. She couldn't think of anyone else at the moment as the cold, harsh grip of the Orc tightened, then she felt another Orc slap hand over her mouth. "Lu!" Kili called back. "I'll find you!"

Lulyn was taken down many hallways and into a large, surprisingly well crafted room deep inside the heart of mountain. The room was filled with lots of artifacts, probably things the orcs had stolen from dwarves and elves and whatnot. But then it was also filled with other gross "artifacts". Like eyeballs and hair from who knows what. She was thrown to the feet of an Orc who looked just a bit too much like Azog. A close relative, maybe? Anyway, he took her by the neckline of her dress and stood her up. He got right in her face, nose to nose with her.

"Where is the necklace, dwarf scum?" He growled. His voice was low and scratchy, but it also had a very intimidating boom to it.

Lulyn smirked. "I'll never tell."

The Orc growled and threw her backward. She managed to keep her feet without crashing into a wall.

"Tell me now, if you want to keep your life. Where. Is. The. Necklace." He threatened.

Lulyn just kept her smirk on. "It was destroyed." She said.

"WHAT?!" The Orc roared. "You'll be lucky to escape with your life now."

Lulyn ducked out of the way as the Orc took his giant mace and tried to whack her with it. He smashed a glass case filled with gold. Lulyn noched an arrow and aimed at the Orc. He caught her off guard and whacked the bow out of her hands, cracking it in half. The blow knocked her to the side. She hit her ankle on the leg of a table. Lulyn cried out. Her ankle throbbed as she caught herself on another table, her hand landed on something smooth and round. Then, she felt something like a thousand lightning bolts run through her body. She tried to cry out, but she couldn't. She stared at the round stone that seemed to be causing this. When she did she took in a sharp breath. She found herself staring into a fiery eye. Then harsh whispers filled her mind, they felt like knives each time the voice spoke. "Ash nazg durbatuluk, ash nazg gimbatul..."

She struggled to drop the stone and it rolled across the floor. Lulyn collapsed and lay panting on the cold cave floor. The Orc picked her up and shoved her against a wall, holding a dagger to her throat. Two orcs came and put the seeing stone back on table.

"What did he tell you?!" He demanded.

"Who is 'he'?" She asked weakly.

"The eye! What did he say?!"

Lulyn took a shaky breath. "I...I don't know. He said something in black speech. I don't—"

"Don't lie to me, dwarf scum! No one uses the seeing stone without hearing something. What did he say? Speak quickly, or never speak again!"

Just then, an arrow pierced the orc's shoulder. He roared and turned to see Kili who had another one noched. "Let her go, or the next one goes between your eyes." He said. Lulyn slid down the wall and sat, whatever that stone was, it sapped a lot of her energy.

"Ogu, Dalforg! Seize him!" The Orc ordered.

Two orcs ran toward Kili, but each was killed just as fast. Lulyn, while the Orc was distracted, drew a dagger and shakily stood. She stabbed the Orc, and he fell to the ground and cursed in black speech with his dying breath. She sheathed the dagger and closed her eyes, trying to gather her strength. Kili ran to her as her knees buckled. He caught her and hugged her close. "Told you I'd find you." He smiled. Lulyn pulled away and took another shaky breath. "We need to get out of here, Kili. That thing is watching us." She said. Then, the mountains shook. "The orcs are trying to bring down the mountain." Kili said, looking at the ceiling, pebbles began to fall, then rocks, they began to get bigger and bigger. Lulyn glanced at her broken bow, then the Seeing Stone. She ran and put her cloak over the Seeing Stone and leaned on Kili as they ran from the room, which collapsed behind them.

They ran through many tunnels and came out to the cave where they had come in. The elves, dwarves and orcs were still battling. "Thorin! The orcs are bringing down the mountain!" Kili warned. "Retreat!" Thorin ordered the company and elves. Everyone began to retreat from the cave. Lulyn turned to see a few orcs with the seeing stone leaving. She picked up an elven bow and nocked an arrow that lay on the ground. She shot down a few but then had to get out of there. The company and elves made it out alive, along with a few retreating orcs. The orcs ran south, toward Dunland. Boulders fell and covered the mouth of the cave, creating clouds of dust. When it cleared, Lulyn smiled and looked at the company. Thirteen. She laughed and ran up to give Kili a great big hug. Lulyn began to pull away, but Kili didn't let go and kissed her. After a moment Lulyn pulled away when she remembered the company was still here. She turned a little red as the whole company stared surprised at them. They all smiled and laughed. The sun was rising now, and after a pleasant breakfast with the elves, the company began heading out of Ered Mithrin.

That day, the company met up with the ponies, who miraculously, were all there and unharmed. Lulyn ran up and threw her arms around Brisa. The pony nickered a greeting. The company rode off, a little bruised and beaten and tired, but they had completed their task. Lulyn looked up at Thorin, who looked out across the terrain, deep in thought. "Where are we going next, Thorin?" She asked.

Thorin shrugged. "Wherever the road takes us. We've got no plan."

Lulyn smiled. "Fantastic." She said.

And so the company continued on, heading south. Lulyn wondered if she were to see Gandalf again, and what she would do without a sword. Though, the elven bow seemed to suit her well, even if it was a tad big. She had plenty of other weapons. She could manage without a sword for a bit longer.

The company found themselves in the plains that night, they all slept and didn't even bother setting anyone for watch. Besides, Kor had things handled with the ponies. As everyone slept—well, almost everyone. Lulyn still wasn't asleep, though she felt like curling up, going to sleep and never waking up again. She was exhausted. She sat against a boulder that had rolled down from the mountains and looked at the company with a smile on her face. She breathed a laugh at those who snored...namely Bombur, and looked down at the ground. "Do you ever sleep?" A sweet, familiar voice said from next to her. Lulyn met Kili's dark eyes and smiled. "I'm beginning to ask myself the same thing." She laughed. Kili put an arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"See, we're all still here. You had nothing to worry about." Kili grinned.

"Except for being thrown against a wall several times, nearly breaking my ankle, and a stone that whispers evil things to me." Lulyn reminded. Kili laughed and they both went silent. It was a pleasant silence though. They simply enjoyed each other's company.

"I have a family again." Lulyn whispered. Kili looked at her and blinked. "Hm?"

Lulyn took a breath and looked up at Kili. "I have a family again." She repeated. "It's sort of like having eleven brothers, an uncle, and...and you." She smiled. Kili chuckled. "That's exactly what it is."


End file.
